Hand-to-Hand Combat: Seduction For Dummies
by Madame Atomic Bomb
Summary: Zuko's been acting weird around Suki lately, but one heated morning in the dojo together might clear the air between them.


"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't realize anyone was in here," Suki said as she entered the Air Temple's dojo, only to find a lone figure standing in the middle of the room.

Zuko turned to look at her, his eyebrow rising a little. "It's okay. Couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd get started early."

"Me too," she said. "Umm…I can go if you—"

"No, it's fine. You can stay. There's plenty of room," he said with a tight smile of concentration on his face. Then he looked away, dismissing her as he so often did these days.

Lately Zuko had been acting weird. She didn't know if it was stress or something else, but he barely talked to her anymore, and he was constantly avoiding her gaze. At the same time though, he'd been exceedingly polite to her, if somewhat distant. She couldn't put her finger on what was wrong.

She'd thought this trip to Air Temple Island was what he needed, but since they'd been here, she'd barely seen him, except out the corner of her eye. She'd thought that he was avoiding her.

_I don't know what I did, but I hope he pulls his head out of his ass about it,_she thought to herself.

"Thanks," she said to him, walking over to one of the benches and putting down her things. A glance at clerestory windows told her that dawn hadn't even broken yet. That wasn't unusual for her though; she was usually up before the sun training. She'd seen no reason to get out of her routine just because they were visiting Air Temple Island.

She watched Zuko out of the corner of her eye. She could tell by the thin sheen of sweat on his naked upper torso that he'd been there for a while, and by the smell of brimstone in the room, he'd been practicing his Firebending. He was holding a curved sword in each hand now as he moved into an intricate sword dance that had him spinning, diving and kicking across the mats on the floor. The swords flashed, promising blood and a gruesome death to anyone who found themselves unlucky enough to be facing him.

She couldn't help but admire the way he moved; he was a fine swordsman.

Almost as good as she was.

Suki smirked and shrugged out of her jacket. Then she stepped on the mats, a good distance away from Zuko, and started her warm-up exercises. She did twenty-five pushups, fifty sit-ups, and then a serious of deep, long stretches and lunges to work out the kinks in muscles. When everything was warm and loose, she rolled her shoulders, closing her eyes to center herself.

She could hear Zuko working out across the dojo, but tuned him out.

She breathed out, digging her bare toes into the floor as she flicked open her fans, letting them become extensions of her arms. The air in the dojo was filled with the pleasant scents of sandalwood incense, sea spray and sweat. She let the scents flow over her, filling her as all of her muscles uncoiled.

She opened her eyes and moved into a spin, lashing out with her fans at the open air, imagining an opponent facing her. She lashed out and thrusted, rolled, kicked, and punched; all in a fluid dance that twisted around her side of the room. With every imaginary blow that landed, she made a short, "_Kiai!_" sound, which echoed throughout the room.

Sweat began to pop out on her forehead and run down the back and the center of her chest. She'd worn shorts and a half-shirt in a dark green, lightweight material and soon it was clinging to her. When she flipped backward and landed in a crouch, fans splayed protectively in front of her, she became aware of a pair of eyes on her.

Breathing hard now, she glanced to the side and saw Zuko watching her from his side of the room. His head was tilted back, little pieces of dark hair that had escaped his ponytail sticking to his sweaty throat. His arms were loose at his sides, still holding the twin swords. Every breath he took made his tight stomach muscles contract and expand and she couldn't help but notice the way his loose red pants clung low on his hips, displaying a tight V-shape that attracted the eye.

Aware that she was staring, Suki flicked her gaze away and straightened from her crouch. Zuko cleared his throat and turned his back on her, switching both swords to one hand. He wiped his free hand down his face, mumbling something to himself that she couldn't hear.

_All of my shouting probably screwed up his concentration_, she thought ruefully as she walked back to the bench and put down her fans. She glanced in his direction, watching as he poured water from a bucket over his head. The water trickled down his shoulders and back, dripping onto the floor. She followed one rivulet after another as they traversed the hard geography of his back, only dimly aware of how she was chewing on her lower lip.

She stopped when she tasted blood, catching herself with a start. It wasn't the first time she'd done so; she'd been having inappropriate thoughts about her boss for months now.

_What in the hell are you thinking? This is Zuko! Has it been that long since you've had sex that—oh my holy spirits, I'd like to lick the sweat off of those abs… NO. STOP. Focus, you idiot!_

Shaking her head and then her limbs, she walked back into the center of the floor, trying to block out her wayward thoughts. There she went into a series of gymnastic tumbles, cartwheels, backflips and layout saltos. She landed the last layout at the edge of the mat and breathed out, tossing her hair out of her face as she glanced in Zuko's direction, unable to stop herself.

He was wrapping his hands, but she couldn't help but notice the way his head was cocked in her direction, watching her out the corners of his eyes.

She glanced at the corners of the dojo; it was a massive room, built to train a hundred Air Acolytes at once. There was more than enough room for what she had planned.

_Show off_, a little voice said in her head, but she ignored it, squaring her shoulders and lifting up on her tiptoes, breathing out with a little whoosh of air.

Then, like a whip, she was off, running flat out across the dojo. Halfway to the other side she launched into a series of back handsprings, her toes pointed, back straight. Her momentum carried her to the other side of the mat, where she landed, rebounded, and launched into a series of backflips in the opposite direction. Halfway there, she tucked her hands at her sides did three layouts in a row. When she landed in the corner where she'd started, she heard a slow clap from the bench, the sound echoing.

Breathing hard, she turned to face Zuko, who was clapping as he walked into the center of the dojo.

"You're good at that."

"I know I am," she said, flashing him a confident grin.

"Do you do that every morning?"

_No, I was just trying to impress you_, that annoying little voice in the back of her mind said.

"Sometimes," she answered with a shrug, bending her left leg behind her and grasping her ankle. She stretched the muscles in her thigh, relishing the sweet strain as everything released.

"I was watching you with the fans."

"Oh?" she said, as if she hadn't noticed. "I was watching you with your swords. You're almost as good as I am."

"Almost?" Zuko's brows went up, a little twist to his mouth.

"That's a huge compliment," she said airily.

His voice was dripping with sarcasm. "I'll take that under advisement."

"Really, you're very good, Zuko. I'm just better, which is why I'm the bodyguard and you're the Fire Lord," she said as she lifted her arms over her head, pulling herself in a long, slow stretch that worked every muscle in her body. She closed her eyes for a moment, losing herself in the feel of her muscles unwinding and lengthening after her impromptu gymnastics routine. A little sound left her, more like a moan of pleasure than one of relief. When she opened her eyes, dropping her arms, Zuko's topaz eyes were hot and inscrutable, a muscle ticking in his unshaven jaw that hadn't been before.

Slowly, he licked his lips, eyeing her with narrow-eyed intent.

"How about we find out? You feel like sparring?"

"Hand to hand? I'd love to."

Zuko smirked a little as they walked to the center of the dojo and faced each other. Suki put her hands in a guard position as he did the same.

"I'll take it easy on you, little girl," he said softly.

A quick smile hit her lips. "I'm _really _going to enjoy making you regret that."

She struck out at him in the next second, moving in past his line with a hard strike to his ribs. A whoosh of air left him, but he grabbed the leg she brought to his midsection, blocking the strike. She spun away from him, keeping her balance on her bare toes as he danced away from her.

He went on the attack this time, swinging at her deadly accuracy. She ducked his arm, catching it as she tangled their feet. She used his own momentum to knock him of balance and he landed on the mat at her feet with a hard bounce.

"Do you need me to take it easy on you, little boy?" she asked, lifting her eyebrows as she stared down at him.

Zuko flipped to his feet without using his hands as she stepped back and put her hands up again.

After that neither one of them said a word, other than the occasional grunt as a blow landed. She managed to get in a few good strikes to his middle, and he delivered a kicked to her leg that nearly buckled her. Neither of them was going full out though; blows that would break an enemy's arm on the battlefield would merely bruise.

Zuko's big, warm body was a solid wall of steel before her, but she was used to fighting opponents larger than she. She used his weight and height against him, sailing in under his strikes and dancing out of range before he could recover.

Sweat poured down her back and her energy was starting to flag, but she couldn't remember the last time she'd enjoyed herself this much. She could tell from the smile that tugged on Zuko's open mouth as he panted, that he was enjoying himself too. She couldn't help but follow a bead of sweat that trickled down his glistening abs, feeling her pulse picking up even more. Then she caught herself, stopping before she could follow her thoughts down their horny little rabaroo hole.

_Focus, dammit._

When she moved in on him to strike at his chest, their arms tangled and he lifted her clean off of her feet. Instead of dangling there, she wrapped her legs around his waist and squeezed with her powerful thighs.

Zuko grunted in pain, turning her arms and trapping them behind her with a painful wrench that brought her chest flush with his. His hot breath landed on her sweaty neck and she felt a hot, wet tingle between her legs that knocked a gasp out of her. Zuko looked up, the look on his face unmistakable in its origin.

He swiftly let go of her arms and she fell back, putting her hands on the floor and vaulting backward as she released her hold on his waist with her legs. She landed in a crouch a few feet away, her eyes wide, her mind screaming at her.

Zuko licked his lips again, moving toward her. She needed to end this. Now. Before things went the way her skyrocketing libido was demanding them to go. When he moved to strike her side, she put one hand on his shoulder for leverage, wrapping her legs around his shoulders and using her momentum to flip them both to the floor.

They landed with a hard smack, but Zuko was already moving, twisting his head out from between her thighs and turning on her. She kicked out her foot, but he caught it, yanking her down the mat toward him. Her other leg caught him in the chest and he grunted, knocking it aside. He put both of his legs over hers, straddling her as she got her hands up.

He grabbed both of her wrists and pinned them to the mat above her head as he stilled over top of her. They were both panting as they lay there, staring at each other.

"Give up?" he asked as she tried to squirm out of his grasp, but he held her too tightly. She had no leverage.

"Not in the slightest," she shot at him, lifting her pelvis into his. Zuko's eyes widened at that and he switched both of her wrists into one hand. He used his other hand to pin her bare hip to the mat. His sweaty chest slid along hers, and she felt her nipples puckering. The throb between her legs was becoming unendurable. She tried to push him off, but his hot body was like a lead weight pinning her down.

Did he even realize what he was doing to her?

_Of course not. This is Zuko we're talking about. He has no idea how sexy he is, and it's not like he'd try to seduce me with hand-to-hand combat. Get real. This is just an exercise to him._

"You're not going to get free. Give up?"

He was right. She'd let herself get too distracted by him and he definitely had her. Her jaw tightened and then she let out a breath through her nose.

"Yield."

Zuko smiled at her slowly and then sat back on his heels, allowing her slide her legs out from under him. He stood and then held out his hand; she took it, a gasp leaving her as he hauled her up to her feet so fast she lost her balance and spun into him.

"Whoa, easy. I've got you," he said as his arms went around her.

_Sweet merciful Kyoshi he smells good enough to eat right now…_

Her face was practically buried against his neck and his breath was hot on ear, sending little shivers down her spine, despite how hot she was. His hand spread on her lower back and it was like a thousand pinpricks of fire had ignited beneath her skin. A little whimper left her and Zuko stiffened against her.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" he asked as his voice lowered, rumbling through her.

_Spirits, even his voice turns me on…_

"No. I'm okay…" _If you count my panties being on fire as okay, then sure. I'm peachy with a side of keen._

"Good. Because I don't want to hurt you, Suki," he said as he looked into her eyes for what felt like the first time in months. She felt her heart leap into her throat as his gaze flicked to her lips.

_Is he going to…? Oh holy shit…he's going to…!_

Her mind ran in little circles as Zuko leaned into her. Every bit of her, even the part of her that was babbling in shock, yearned toward him. She didn't know where this was coming from, but she wasn't about to stop it.

She closed her eyes as Zuko's breath brushed her lips.

And that's when Aang walked into the dojo, Momo chittering away on his shoulder. Immediately Zuko pushed away from her as if he'd been scalded, leaving her standing there with her mind turning into a puddle of goo, not sure what had just happened. Was she going crazy?

_Probably._

She became aware of the way Aang's eyebrows had lifted in surprise and his mouth had formed a little 'o' shape upon noticing them. No need to ask if he'd seen them nearly kissing. The answer was pretty obvious.

"We weren't doing anything!" Zuko said in a voice that was rougher and deeper than normal.

"Just sparring!" she added, her voice a little high-pitched.

Aang's hazel eyes darting from her to him and back again before he lifted his hands and shrugged. "_Okaaaaay…_"

"Just…just sparring," Zuko mumbled, glancing at her and then purposefully walking back to the bench where he'd left his swords and his shirt.

Suki blanched, her pulse leaping like a wild thing as she immediately turned in place and walked back to her things. _What in the hell just happened? What were you thinking? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?_ Her inner voice was really starting to irritate her.

She gathered up her things, keeping her eyes down as she headed towards the door. Aang was rearranging a display of bo staffs in the corner, the tips of his ears red as he glanced at her knowingly.

_One word, Avatar. One damned word and I'll make Katara a widow._

But he didn't say anything as she strode out the door with her armload of things. As she rounded the corner, one of her fans fell to the floor. She groaned inwardly and bent to retrieve it, just as she heard Aang's voice through the open dojo door.

"So did I walk in on the two of you about to make out or what?"

_Yep. I'm going to kill him._

"Drop it, Aang," came Zuko's harsh voice.

"Was that your big move? Seducing her with hand-to-hand combat?"

"Uh…"

"Are you _serious?_ _Spirits, _Zuko I've told you a hundred times to _just ask her out_. What are you waiting for? She can't keep her eyes off you. She's gonna say yes!"

Suki's eyes widened and she shot to her feet again. _Did he just…?_

"I'm…I'm not good at the whole asking a woman out thing, okay?" Zuko said in a frustrated voice. "And she…she intimidates me."

_I intimidate him?_

"I thought you liked that?"

"I do! But I don't know how to show her that I like her so I just—"

"Do things like making sure you're both alone in the dojo together so you could watch her workout? You couldn't have been more obvious if you'd tried."

"Yeah, and I nearly kissed her, too! Thanks so much for interrupting!"

"How was I to know you were making your big move at ass o'clock in the morning? Seriously, just ask her out to dinner tonight."

She shouldn't have been listening to this and she knew it, but she couldn't physically make herself walk away.

Zuko liked her. He'd been trying to ask her out. Suddenly, his awkwardness around her made absolute sense. The way he'd held out her chair for her, the way he'd look at her and then look away… Of course. Trust Zuko to flirt with her in the most round-about way possible.

_Zuko you freaking dork!_

"What if she says no? What if she says _yes?_"

Aang laughed. "You're on your own with that one, buddy. Seriously, just ask her. Before she decides you're a great big weirdo and won't come near you without bodyguards of her own."

Zuko made a frustrated noise as she leaned against the wall outside of the dojo for a moment, her heart racing. Then a smile crossed her lips.

She was going to have so much fun with this…


End file.
